


You Will Never Approve

by RichardGraysonPercyJackson



Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [18]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Arguing, Aromantic Jason Todd, Bruce's terrible parenting, Domestic, Engaged Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, M/M, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent - Freeform, cause there's a tag for that apparently
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:00:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25550227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/RichardGraysonPercyJackson
Summary: "I’m not allowed to date a civilian because they can’t ever know about Batman but I’m not allowed to date someone who knows, like Babs for example, because it’s unprofessional to date your co-worker."
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson
Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1323779
Comments: 27
Kudos: 303





	You Will Never Approve

**Author's Note:**

> Why is there a tag of "Bruce Wayne's A+ Parenting" but no tag for "Bruce Wayne's Terrible Parenting"?
> 
> Seriously, there should be.
> 
> Unless the A one is sarcastic?...
> 
> Oh well, enjoy

“He’s a mercenary, Dick.”

“Really?” Dick asked, feigning shock as he stared at Bruce with his arms crossed over his chest. “I had  _ absolutely _ no idea, here I thought he was a volunteer at the local homeless shelter.”

Jason snorted.

“Dick, I need you to take this seriously,” Bruce growled.

“Take what seriously?” Dick asked. “My relationship? I am. This conversation? I’m not.”

Jason snorted again. “Nice,” he said from where he was lounging nearby, still in his Red Hood uniform since they were just off patrol.

“Stay out of this, Jason,” Bruce ordered before turning back to Dick. “You can’t trust him.”

“ _ I _ can’t trust him?” Dick asked. “Or  _ you _ can’t trust him?”

“I think I can  _ hear _ his teeth grinding from here,” Tim whispered.

“He’s a killer.”

“So is Jason.”

“How do you know you can trust him?” Bruce demanded. “Or is this just your poor judgement of people in play again?”

Dick’s eyes went wide and for once, Jason and Tim stayed silent. Somehow, Bruce managed to recognize that what he’d said was wrong and he tried to backtrack.

“Dick-”

“I know I can trust him because I have spoken to people who know him,” Dick replied firmly. “People who have said he doesn’t play with his emotions-”

“People who have no loyalty to  _ you _ ,” Bruce growled. “People who are loyal to  _ him _ and if lying to you means you think you can trust him-”

“You’re never going to be happy with who I’m dating, are you?” Dick demanded. “I’m not allowed to date a civilian because they can’t ever know about Batman but I’m not allowed to date someone who knows, like Babs for example, because it’s unprofessional to date your co-worker.”

“Dick-”

“Tim is dating Kon, Superman’s clone!” Dick snapped. “Damian is dating Superman’s  _ son  _ and you don’t have a problem with that! Hell, Jason is-” Dick paused, staring at Bruce before turning to Jason. “Are you in a relationship?”

Jason shrugged. “I identify as aromantic,” he replied.

“Really?” Tim asked. “I didn’t know that.”

“Didn’t you?”

“No. Makes sense though.”

Jason hummed. “Yeah, I guess I can see how that makes sense.”

“We’re not talking about them, Dick,” Bruce said firmly, drawing Dick’s attention back to him. “We’re talking about you.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Dick said. “Because we’re  _ always _ talking about me. Because it’s  _ always _ me who’s doing something wrong. Who’s disappointing you. Who’s making poor choices.”

“You’re dating a criminal.”

“You’re  _ engaged _ to Catwoman!” Dick screamed, fully losing his temper for the first time since the conversation began.

“Catwoman is not a murderer.”

“Fuck you.” Silence fell. Dick stared up at Bruce, fury in his blue eyes, as he breathed heavily while Bruce regarded him, calm as always. “Fuck you,” Dick repeated in a whisper. “You have no right to tell me who I can and cannot date. I can make my own damn choices, Bruce. I  _ know _ Slade does not have a good track record. I know he has killed people. I have known the man since I was thirteen years old-”

“And you don’t think there’s something wrong with that?” Bruce asked. “You’re nineteen years old.”

“So?”

“He’s sixty-four.”

“I’ve noticed.” Dick took a step back, a small smile on his face as he said, “His experience in bed certainly shows that.”

“Oh fuck,” Jason whispered from the side. “I did  _ not _ need or want to know that you two are fucking.”

“I can’t let you do this, Dick,” Bruce said calmly.

“Well then, Bruce,” Dick said. “It’s a good thing you don’t let me do anything at all.”

………………………………..

“Someone’s in a bad mood,” Slade commented without looking up from his tablet when Dick let himself into the mercenary’s apartment.

“No,  _ really _ ?” Dick drawled as he flopped over the back of the couch. “What on  _ earth _ could have ever given you that impression?”

Still not looking up, Slade picked up his phone from where it rested on the armrest next to him, tossing it over to Dick who caught it and unlocked it, finding it open on a text conversation with-

“You and Jason text?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

Dick blniked, frowning. “Wait, I forgot to ask a question.”

Slade chuckled, finally looking up and over at Dick. “And what question might that be?”

“You text?”

Slade laughed out loud, drawing a smile from Dick for the first time. “I do, little bird,” he replied. “In fact, don’t I text you?”

Dick opened his mouth before frowning it and closing it. “Okay, that’s fiar, I kind of forgot about that,” he muttered. “But that’s different.”

“How so?”

“We’re in a relationship,” Dick replied, knowing better to use the term ‘boyfriend’ because Slade hated that word more tha he hated his ex-wife, which was hard to achieve. “You are  _ not _ in a relationship with Jason.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Well first, I would hope yu’re not cheating on me,” Dick replied. “Second, Jaso is apparently aromantic.”

“Is he?” Slade thought about it. “I suppose it is obvious, when you think about it.”

“Right?” Dick asked, finally shifting and sitting up. “By the way, it’s five in the morning, why are you awake?”

“I get up at five,” Slade reminded him. “Why are  _ you _ awake?”

“I wish I knew.”

Slade smiled, shocking Dick by leaning over and pressing a gentle kiss to the acrobat’s cheek.

“You should have some sweats back in the bedroom,” he said. “Go change into something more comfortable than jeans and lay down, have a nap.”

“Are you putting me to bed, Daddy?”

Slade’s lips twitched at that and Dick watched him shift before he muttered, “Does daddy need to spank you to get you to sleep?”

“This is weird, okay, I’m going,” Dick said, laughing as he stood and headed to the bedroom. “Let’s never call you daddy again.”

“Deal.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know your thoughts!


End file.
